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Lemonade

Relationships aren’t easy to begin with. Men and women are both similar human beings, but yet, we’re so much different in the way we think. Women have come so far from not being able to vote to be able to do pretty much everything we want to do. However, women are still looked down upon and perceived as fragile to men. Fragile enough to get cheated on even when we have the utmost respect from everyone...

Beyonce created a 52-minute music video called Lemonade. the music video is a representation of the relationship between her and her husband, Jay Z. I argue that no matter how respected and strong a woman is, men will still find a way to diminish her worth. It is up to women whether to dwell on the situation or rise above it. Beyonce started the video with the song,”Pray You Catch Me.” The video followed by many monologues that describe her husband similarity to her father, both were having infidelity with another woman. While hoping for a concrete evidence and opportunity to confront him. At the end of the scene, Beyonce dove into the water as a symbol of going to a path of personal transformation and rebirth. The next video, Beyonce is seen wearing a drenched yellow dress. In the video, she starts hammering car windows as she walks down the street looking for a revenge while saying,”what a wicked way to treat the girl who loves you.”

The third segment of the video is called Anger. In this video, Beyonce shows up in a form of a marching band and dancers parading through a busy street while saying, “if it’s what you truly want, I can wear her skin over mine.” The scene then went on to a dimly lit parking garage. This monologue depicts Malcom X’s speech where he stated that,”the most disrespected person in America is black women.” It is clear that this entire project is not only about Beyonce, but black women at large.

The next video is named Apathy. In this video, we can see that Beyonce is seated on a throne while singing the song,” sorry.”She turned from a jilted lover into indifferent and unapologetic woman and states that she regrets marrying Jay Z. The next video is Emptiness. Beyonce wore a red dress which can a representation of renewal. At the end of the scene the house is engulfed in flames behind her, meaning she is leaving her anger behind. The next video is called Accountability, which depicts the ways women become exhausted from emotional labour as wives, mothers, and daughters. The video Reformation depicts ow Beyonce is reconciling her anger about her father’ s infidelity and perhaps realize that her marriage is worth saving. It can be seen as a representation of the point that their marriage may have started to find real peace.

The last video is called Redemption. This is the point where it’s made clear what the album is all about. It’s about resilience through love and healing. In this segment Beyonce makes it clear just how much power exists between generations of women and it is testament to the resilience of black women in times of of both collective and individual struggle.

Click on the link below

http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/25/entertainment/lemonade-beyonce-meaning/index.html

#lemonade

A Curse and A Blessing

The documentary ‘Me at the Zoo’ is about a then younger Chris Crocker, who considered himself as a transgendered man. He takes us through his daily routines of making a video of his everyday life and posting it on the internet. Initially, he did not get any recognition for any of the videos he puts up, but as the video gets more eccentric, viewers started to pick up on it, and a significant amount of views have multiplied overnight. I argue that as people become more successful in Hollywood, there would be a bigger price to pay. Crocker did not go to high school, due to safety reason. He knew that he would not be accepted by other kids.He could not dodge the inescapable judgments and violence of teenagers because he is gay.

Crocker was a massive fan of a celebrity sensation name Britney Spears. He devoted his time and money to find out every single thing about Britney Spears. He bought all of the magazines with her on it as well as posters and albums. Crocker would defend her on the internet when trolls would say atrocious things about her. Soon he will realize that this obsession with Britney would lead him into becoming an overnight youtube superstar.

Youtube came about in 2006; it is a place on the internet where people share any videos for other people to see. Anyone with a webcam can become famous. Youtube created what is known as couch potatoes to becoming producers. Youtubers, as they called themselves, can make money from the ad revenues shown during their videos. Youtube has become the next step in the evolution of the internet. Crocker, who is already on board with the whole internet frenzy, was not going to be left behind. He also created contents and put them on Youtube for people to see. Then came Leave Britney Alone.

Britney Spears has always been in the media spotlight, if she’s not sexually harassed on the internet, she would be bothered by the paparazzi. One night, she has enough people in general, she started attacking the paparazzi and shaved her head bald which surprises the world.Britney decided to shave her head bold to gain control of herself, in a sense that she is tired of people controlling her and telling her what to do. Many months later, she performed on the VMA and received many backlashes about her appearance, that’s when Chris had enough of people making fun of Britney and decided to create a video about it and post it on Youtube, and the rest is history.

After receiving millions of views from the video, Chris started to get offers from tv shows and was flown to LA. He thought the crazier he acted, the more deals he will get. Well, that did not work out. His tv show got canceled and left him broke in LA, which he then decided to move back with his grandmother. He received many backlashes about his failure, and he lost many of his viewers. This is the price that he had to pay to fulfill that fantasy of becoming an internet celebrity. Every time he puts out new videos he received death threats and many despicable comments.

This documentary shows how he feels about his journey in the social media world, which he called the zoo, where not everyone can make it. If they do make it, there sure will be a price to pay.

Please click the link below:

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/leave-britney-alone-chris-crocker-10-years-later-w502714

#meatthezoo chriscrocker templepop17

Yes We Can

You put on way too much make-up. Why don’t you put on a little bit of lipstick that way you don’t look sick. You should lose some weight so you would look good in a dress. You are too skinny, guys like women with curves. Growing up, women have to look a certain way to meet people’s expectations of how they "supposed" to look. Outside world looks at women as objects, but what is more troubling is they are one of those people who objectify themselves. Self-objectification is a national problem; due to constant expectations of how women should look, women spend more money on beauty supplies than education that can actually empower them. According to a study, women who self-objectify tend to have lower GPA, self-confidence, self-efficacy, and less likely to run for politics and vote.

I argue that if more women leaders are being shown on television for younger girls to look up tp, there will be younger generations of girls who will take on more empowering roles. While other countries have already progressed to having a handful of women as their national leaders, the U.S. lacks in that department. Gender bias in the U.S. has not changed much from young girls to older women. Women are often discouraged from pursuing ambitious positions. If they do seek those roles, sexism will come right behind them. People will compliment these women on their achievements as a surprise, considering them being a woman. Currently, there is only a handful of women role model on television who can guide these young girls and show them that they too can achieve things that men can do.

Women portrayal in Hollywood is significant because of the majority of young girls and people in general watch tv on a daily basis. However, how can we empower these girls when most of the stuff they see on television is about women being a stereotype. There was one instance where an actress had to hide her age as well as her Standford degree to play a role in a movie. How can you empower these young girls when you have to conceal things you are most proud of?

The mainstream movies are all about male power. The industry rarely shows women as the protagonist. If they are the protagonist, it will most likely be about them trying to get a guy. What is more troubling is that we see this as usual and don't question why the industry won't show women as powerful beings. The media shows women as emotional and insecure, waiting for their knight and shining armor to save them and live happily ever after. When women do get the dominant roles, their roles portray them as a bitch.

News and politics often misrepresent women and often objectify women journalist. It's all about their physicality, not about the content they bring to the table. The media pressures women journalist to look a certain way that can attract their male viewers. In politics, the more powerful a woman is, the more backlash and stereotypes she will receive.

We have to stop the media bias that looks at women in negative views. Stop painting women as more emotional and calling women as weak if they shed tears on television. Let us progress into a country that can empower women to be themselves without having to objectify themselves.

#templepop17 women misrepresented

The Forgotten

Coming into this world everyone has different social classes. Whether you are a working class, middle class, or upper class, it all depends on your income, occupation, culture, or political stand. Income is based on your economic standing. Culture os your education level, or your lifestyle. The political position is based on whether or not you have the power to influence. The media has a way to frame what the working class is really like in reality. The working class family on television does not correctly represent who or what they are. More often, there would be stereotypes and conventions we can see if we pay close attention to the patterns in what we’re watching. I argue that the working class is more than a clown portrayed by the media.

The Cosby Show reflects on an upper-middle-class black family who strays away from the typical “ghetto” black family usually portrayed by the media. It depicts the meaning of “if you work really hard, you can thrive and don’t really rely on the government for help despite your background.” Although it is a good concept, it does not put the reality of working class that is having problems living up to that standard. What is the standard? The reality of working class is often portrayed as someone who is a clown. The typical working class ideology is that workers and their adequacies are to blame. The outlook of black tv shows that are shown in the media, like the Cosby Show, leaves the reality of working/middle class stuck in a jam because they failed to succeed the misconception of, ”we are who we depend on how we work.” Those who are in the lower working class are usually shown as black or people of color with poor work ethics, lazy, incompetent workers, not to mention crimes. Even though statistically, most people in poverty are white, we don’t think them like that because of how they are depicted in the media. The media is really good at showing the working class as people who are lacking intelligence. In tv shows, the guys are either a drunkard, gambler, or someone who is not able to handle financial issues. Eventually, the women have to step up and be the head of the family. What about taste? Of course, working-class’ taste is not comparable to middle or upper-class citizens. The documentary showed a tv show called “Joe Millionaire.”It is a story about a working-class man who did this makeover as a rich guy, from which he started off with a bad taste in clothing and food and ended up knowing “better” things in life.

Although not everything that is shown on tv is a myth, it is a little bit inconsiderate to show the working class as people who do not contribute anything useful to society. We need to start to incorporate the reality of the working class and hopefully erase these biases we have about the working class and more importantly, let’s not forget about them.

Please click the link below for the article

#templepop17 popculture workingclass america

Real Courage: Standing Up Against Popularity

It used to be fun. It used to be enjoyable. It used to be a way to escape from school work. If you are wondering what is “it” that I’m referring to; It is Sports. Kids would play outside and break all types of rules without being punished because it was all fun and games. Well, that is kid’s sports, what we are going to talk about is adult sports. An industry where politics, culture, and appearance play a role in determining who plays where and who gets what deals. There is a belief that sports and politics do not mix, I argue that professional sports revolve around not just politics, but also around culture and appearance.

Playing sports is not just all about achievements, athletic performance, and teamwork anymore. Culture plays a role in sports. For example, the misconception that we have about the physicality of basketball players. The players have to be tall, white or black. It got interesting when Jeremy Lin, an Asian-American player, stepped into the court to replace Carmelo Anthony due to his injuries; all eyes were on him. They were amazed at the “skills” that he possesses. What comes after? Racist remarks.

NFL has a few standards for its players to follow, one of them is to never show weakness. This NFL culture has taught men to avoid showing any vulnerability. If you are a man with a sense of slight sensitivity, you do not belong in this male arena. What lesson will that teach our sons?

If sports don't mix with politics, then why is it a huge problem for Colin Kaepernick, a former San Francisco quarterback, to refuse standing up for the national anthem? If politics don’t mix with sports, he should be able to do whatever he wants as long as he plays the game well and be quiet, right? Let’s take a moment to acknowledge Pat Tillman who sacrificed his fame to serve our country. A man who would be ever so disappointed if he was still alive, knowing that the media has altered his death only to show how real men “supposed” to die in the war.

How do sports revolve around appearance? Well, if it weren’t for Kathy Switzer, Billie Jean King, and much more empowered women that stood up for Women’s Equality in sports, women would not be able to play major league sports. You see, sports is all about appearance. You have to be a man, tall, and strong to handle balls. Women are too fragile and not masculine enough, they should go back to the kitchen and fix sandwiches, or so they thought. Billie Jean King shut that up when she won against a male tennis competitor who swore Billie Jean didn’t have the slightest chance.

“To change the world you have to win.” -Billie Jean King

and she did just that....

So many comparisons are made around Michael Jordan and Lebron James. Who’s better? None, both are the same. Same basketball players who only worry about their endorsement deals rather than standing up for what is right and important. Muhammad Ali threw all those away for solidarity among black people and peace. Smith and Carlos ruined their legacy by showing their stands. Tell me again sports and politics do not mix. Then, why were these men had to pay for standing up against the government? Standing up against popularity, now that’s a real courage.

Please click the link down below for the article

http://www.espn.com/espnw/voices/article/18614895/if-thought-sports-were-ever-separate-politics-think-again

#templepop17 #notjustagame

More Than Meets The Eye

Social media is a great platform to show the world “who you are” in hope to be accepted and be good enough to fit into the social norm. Social media, like Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, have been used by many big-named celebrities as tools to transfer positive messages to younger generations. Social media is also a good way to self-empower yourself into thinking that you maybe are somebody in this universe. I mean, who doesn’t feel important if their profile picture reaches over 400 likes on facebook in a matter of several hours like Genna Batson? When young kids feel at most vulnerable, they can just turn on their camera, pose, and put it on social media to receive approvals that you are “all that.” Instant self-satisfactory, getting famous is literally in the palm of your own hands. You can be a self-marketer and sell yourself to the internet for the price of fame. No talent is needed. Couldn’t be easier than that.....right?

Although there are many instances where social media can be looked as a great platform for these young generations, I argue that social media is more than meets the eye and proper guidance from parents are needed. The addictive behavior that comes from social media is something that kids may experience, but don’t quite grasp what it feels like to be addicted. Social media is not a drug, but research has shown that it does have the same addictive qualities as some of the illegal drugs. As much as technology companies believe kids are the future, they do not know who you are, and the only thing they care is getting something in return. They supply these children with all these fun platforms to work with, to boost their confidence, to make them feel like they are important, but in return, they discretely made these young generations work for them....FOR FREE.

Take Ceili Lynch, for example, she basically works for Hunger Games as a promoter and did not get anything from the company. Wait, she did, a carpal tunnel syndrome, but not a single dime, while relentlessly tweeting and retweeting posts about the Hunger Games. She spends hours and hours on the internet, addicted to anything Hunger Games, but the question is, “Where are her parents?”

What about the cute little man, Steven Fernandez, a 13-year-old skateboarder? He has to exchange his childhood to get checks. Now, he doesn’t skateboard for fun, he has to skateboard the way these companies want him to in order to showcase their merchandise. These companies do not care that it is inappropriate for him to be surrounded by half naked older women. These companies give Steven the checks, so he has to give them something in return. The question is,”Do his parents even care as long as the checks keep coming in?”

Lastly, in the book Social Media Freak, Morozov describes technology as a powerful tool but raises the question of who controls them and how they are producing masses of couch potatoes generation. Social media companies have made a generation full of manipulators. Doing activities they don’t normally do to fit in the social norm only to get likes on Facebook. We are living in the age where everything is just a click or swipe away, even your dates.This is the time when parents need to step in and do their job as guidance. Inform Ceili, that what she is doing is a money-maker and she can actually do what she loves and make something out of it. For Steven’s parents to set boundaries on the things that he can and cannot do for these promoters. To raise awareness of the hidden impacts of social media. A platform that is More Than Meets the Eye.

Click link below : Social Media Addiction

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/13/social-media-addiction_n_6302814.html

#Templepop17 #generationlike #popculturefreaks

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